The Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) is currently funding the development of irrigation systems in Tanzania, through the District Irrigation Development Fund (DIDF) estimated to cost a total of $32.7bn.
According to the Jica chief representative in Tanzania, Onishi Yasunori, the funding covered the construction and rehabilitation of more than a hundred irrigation schemes for the next three years
Yasunori said that some of the regions that benefited from the Japanese agency’s funds, included Dodoma, Manyara, Singida, Kilimanjaro, Tanga, Arusha, Mbeya, Rukwa, Iringa and Mara.
“In 2002, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives in collaboration with Jica had formulated the National Irrigation Master Plan which identified 2.1 million hectares of high potential areas. This became the blueprint of the irrigation development of this country,” Yasunori explained.
The ministry partnered up with Jica, to work together on the implementation of plans to amend the Irrigation Master Plan – which had been adopted about 12 years ago, making it difficult to deal with current issues.
“I am happy that the Arusha Technical College (ATC) recently produced the first degree holders, in other words, irrigation engineers,” he said.
Yasunori added that the agency had been working alongside ATC for almost three years in order to strengthen its civil and irrigation engineering course. – Farmersweekly